Govt takes programme to generate 20,000 MW power

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Govt takes programme to generate 20,000 MW power
SANGSAD BHABAN, Feb 02 (BSS) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said her government has undertaken a programme to produce 20,000 megawatt electricity to solve the country’s existing power crisis and ensuring power for all by 2020-2021.
Replying to a question by treasury bench members Choyon Islam in the Jatiya Sangsad, she told the house that her government during the last two years has added 1131 MW electricity to the national grid.
Besides, agreement has signed in public and private sector to set up 35 more power plants with the capacity of 3,158 megawatt. Of the total, she said five power plants with the capacity of 410 MW have already gone into commercial operation while rest 30 power plants are remained under construction.
Apart from this, the purchase committee has approved the proposal of setting up four power plants with 1,234 MW and a quick rental power plant with capacity of 53 MW in the IPP sector.
The Prime Minister also referred various programes of her government to set up nuclear power plant and using renewable energy for power generation.

Bangladeshi company to invest US$ 6 million in Ishwardi EPZ

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Bangladeshi company to invest US$ 6 million in Ishwardi EPZ
DHAKA, Feb 3 (BSS)- Fujian Export Industry, a hundred per cent Bangladeshi company, will set up a garments Accessories manufacturing plant at a cost of US$ six million in Ishwardi Export Processing Zone.
An agreement to this effect was signed between the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) and Fujian Export Industry in BEPZA Complex today.
The outfit will create employment opportunities for 505 persons including two foreign nationals, said a press release.
Member (investment promotion) of BEPZA Moyjuddin Ahmed and Managing Director of Fujian Export Industry Zahir Uddin Haider inked the agreement on behalf of their respective sides.
BEPZA Executive Chairman Major General A T M Shahidul Islam and other officials from the respective organizations were present on the occasion.

Time-worthy education

Time-worthy education


Activities for reforms in the education sector seem to be going on round the year, addressing the content and teaching methodologies as well as teacher-quality, at primary, secondary and higher-secondary levels, but tangible achievements are too few compared to the time, effort and money spent. Corruption in the sector at least has come down to 15 per cent from the previous 35 per cent, which is by no means small, according to the education minister, and the media ought to take note of it. This remark comes in the context of the recent unflattering report by Transparency International, Bangladesh (TIB) on various state institutions. As one of the handful in the current cabinet who are seen to be honest and dedicated, the education minister understandably feels miffed by 'negative' reports. But the fact remains that there are miles to go, although there is no let up in his own efforts. One of them is the resolve to introduce Information Technology (IT) as a core subject in schools, which is very much time-worthy.

An IT- savvy, sufficiently knowledge-based human resource, would be better equipped to meet global challenges, provided the fundamental principle of education, helping pupils to learn to think and think to learn, is prioritised. Bangladesh's educational institutions, from the primary upwards, encourage rote learning instead, thus laying foundations of mass mediocrity and yielding mostly unthinking drifters who pursue empty 'certificates' rather than knowledge. There are of course some who are rightly oriented and do achieve brilliant heights in spite of the intellect-deadening general education system. The 'digital Bangladesh' initiative should focus seriously on developing highly-skilled, value-added brainpower that would be marketable at home and throughout the world. A really time-worthy quality education, pursued consistently and earnestly from the very basic level, would be able to transform Bangladesh's overwhelmingly young population into a competitive force.

The 1990 'education for all' idea called for universal quality education, with a particular focus on the poorest citizens, and improved dissemination of the knowledge, skills and values required for better living and sustainable development. This vision included gender equality and equity, health and nutrition, parental and community involvement and their management of the education system itself. Such an approach no doubt calls for a more perceptive curricula, including high- quality teacher-input, so that the very process of learning becomes a preparation for life for all students. It may be mentioned here that the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child, which became binding international law the following year, and which Bangladesh has also ratified, elevates the educational 'needs' of children into their 'rights', as these are essential both to children's development and to social progress. Thus, Articles 28 and 29 of the Convention require countries to provide free, compulsory, quality basic schooling for all , if the practice of democratic citizenship is to be realised.

Many Asian countries, with their focus on human resource development, have achieved globally recognised standards and are moving ahead in a fast changing 21st century, a century marked by mind-boggling advances in science, technology and all spheres of human knowledge. Bangladesh can learn from the experiences of countries in the region but first and foremost, it has to arrest the low quality of education at the primary and secondary levels, focussing on both the general and madrasha streams and rationalising their contents and methods of instruction and evaluation. They must be thoroughly overhauled, and the teachers themselves subjected to rigorous education and training to enhance their capacities. If not, Bangladesh's higher-education-aspirants would continue to lag behind, except for a few who have a head start -- socio-economically -- and have access to better quality elitist institutions.   

Pakistan, Bangladesh to strengthen ties in education sector

Associated Press Of Pakistan ( Pakistan's Premier NEWS Agency ) - Pakistan, Bangladesh to strengthen ties in education sector

ISLAMABAD, Jan 4 (APP): Bangladesh High Commissioner Suhrab Hosain and Federal Minister for Education Sardar Aseff Ahmed Ali Tuesday discussed steps for increasing people- to- people contact between the two countries specially in education sector. The High Commissioner put forward his proposals to the Federal Education Minister during a meeting for exchange of students and teachers between the two countries to expand the people- to- people contact.
He appreciated the facilities available in Pakistan in the field of science and technology and desired that Bangladeshi students should also benefit from these facilities.
He referred to high standard in old and new institution of primary education in Pakistan where Bangladeshi student should get admission.
To create awareness among the people of the two courtiers about one another he suggested holding seminars and conferences at different occasion especially on Bangladesh’s Independence Day.
Bangladeshi High Commissioner appreciated the quality of research being undertaken at the Pakistan Agriculture Research Centre and desired to establish institutional link between two countries so that each other’s experiences and research can be shared.
Sardar Aseff told the Bangladeshi High Commissioner that Pakistan has reputed institutions, like Lawrence College Murree, Atchison College Lahore, Army Barnhall College Abbottabad, which provide education up to the higher secondary level at a reasonable expense .
Bangladeshi students can benefit from these institutions of repute.
The Education Minister said that Bangladeshi students could benefit from these institutions.
He said that seats on self finance basis can also be reserved for the Bangladeshi students, in these institutions.
Bangladeshi students could also be awarded scholarships in the fields of Science and Technology, medicine, business, arts to study in Pakistani institutions of higher learning.
The High Commissioner invited the Education Minister to visit Bangladesh.

Free lunch for schools soon: PM

Free lunch for schools soon: PM | Bangladesh | bdnews24.com


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Dhaka, Dec 7 (bdnews24.com)--Prime minister Sheikh Hasina has said her government wants to launch school-feeding programme with its own funding to stop school dropout.

"We can reduce dropout rate by launching feeding programmes in schools. Many students drop out due to hunger," said Hasina while taking part in the discussion on the proposed education policy in the parliament.

She said her government received support from the donors to run the programme.

"But we should not turn to the donors always. We want to launch feeding peogrammes at all schools across the country with our own funding," said Hasina.

At present the WFP provides nutritious biscuits to the primary school children to increase school attendance. The UN body reported that the biscuit feeding resulted in greater presence of students at primary level.

As per the report, the cabinet, two months ago approved a project for giving biscuits to the primary students with a view to attaining the millennium development goals on primary education.

The prime minister also said her government was considering providing free education to all students up to graduation level.

"We have formed a committee, headed by the planning minister, to recommend ways of providing free education to all boys and girls up to graduate level," said Hasina, adding that she hoped to create a lliteracy-free country by 2014.

Education minister Nurul Islam Nahid, agriculture minister Matia Chowdhury, Suranjit Sengupta, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Tofail Ahmed, Rashed Khan Menon and chief whip Abdus Shahid also spoke.

Bangladeshi Students top Cambridge Exams

::: Star Campus :::
Students of Oxford International School (OIS) have been judged as 'best performing students' in Bangladesh in the November 2009 and June 2010 examination sessions by Cambridge International Examinations (CIE). Aleef Al-Amin secured the top position in the world among 160 countries in Human and Social Biology in O Levels.

Besides, students of the school scored highest numbers in 13 subjects in Bangladesh. The students of the school achieved 79 Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards for their outstanding performances in the recent GCE O and A Level Examinations.

In the combined merit list, Mohammad Abrar Wadud secured first place, best across 4 A Levels, while Sayed Hafizul Gafur and Minhazul Islam became first, best across 3 A Levels, in November 2009 and June 2010 sessions respectively.

Mehdi Belayet Lincoln secured 2nd place best across 5 AS Levels. Also, Shomith Dinesh Mondal and Aleef Al-Amin achieved second place, best across 9 O Levels and 8 O Levels respectively.

In A Levels, Prinon Turio secured Cambridge High Achievement in Computing while Mohammad Abrar Wadud secured Cambridge High Achievement in Applied ICT and Mathematics.

To recognise the brilliance of the achievements in these international examinations, CIE organised the Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards Ceremony at Radisson Water Garden Hotel recently.

Nick Low, acting British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Dr John Guy, Syndicate Member of Assessment, Ian Chambers, Regional Manager for South Asia, University Cambridge International Examinations, Murray Keeler, Director of Examinations, British Council, Dhaka were present at the function as the guests.

Principal of OIS G M Nizam Uddin said the students of his school also achieved 75 Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards last year, the highest in Bangladesh.

Establishing gender equality stressed

Establishing gender equality stressed
FE Report

Speakers at a workshop urged the parliament members to address the issues that still prevent girl from accessing education in Bangladesh and take steps to establish gender equality in all spheres of society.

The call was made at a high level workshop entitled, "Gender Equality in Education: Beyond Numbers", organized by Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE) and the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE), unicef under the umbrella UN Girls Education Initiative (UNGEI).

Speaker of the Bangladesh Parliament Md Abdul Hamid, Advocate, was present as chief guest at the opening session, chief whip vice principal Md Abdus Shahid MP, state minister for primary and mass education affairs Motahar Hossain MP, executive director CAMPE and former advisor to caretaker government Rasheda K Choudhury, UNICEF Representative, Carel de Rooy were present at the opening session.

The Minister of Education, Nurul Islam Nahid, MP and the State Minister for Women and Children Affairs, Dr. Shirin Sharmin Choudhury, attended the closing session of the day long workshop.

"More females drop out at primary, secondary, and tertiary level", said education minister Nurul Islam Nahid. 'Girls' education enrolment, retention and acquisition of skills must be prioritized by all, especially MPs, the government, NGOs, development partners and civil society. The role of MPs within their constituencies is imperative and I urge them to come up with strategies that would benefit boys and girls nationally whilst also addressing local needs", the minister added.

Rasheda K Choudhury said, "About 50 per cent who enroll in primary school do not complete the full primary education cycle. When the number of girls who drop out is added to those who have never enrolled, it is estimated that approximately 1.5 million primary aged girls in Bangladesh are not in school."

"In a country like Bangladesh, as in other countries, public representatives can play an important role in promoting gender equality. MPs can be particularly effective in mobilizing and motivating families and local communities to uphold the rights of women and girls with strong political commitment, pro people strategies and realistic goals, female MPs can really make a difference in promoting gender equality in education", she stated.

"If 100 students get admitted in class one only 27 can continue study in class twelve, according to a study. Only privileged students get opportunity to complete the study till twelve," said Rasheda K Choudhury urging the government to pass education policy which will be placed for approval in parliament.

UNICEF Representative Carel de Rooy said, "Although Bangladesh achieved gender parity in both primary and secondary education enrolment rates some years ago, girls continue to face a number of challenges when it comes to education like eve teasing and stalking and early marriage.

He said that Bangladesh allocates about 2.3 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product to education which is one of the lowest in the world.

Motahar Hossain said, "The government has reduced the drop out rate of students in primary schools to 40 per cent. Around 55 percent of women and 45 per cent males are studying in Bangladesh. The enrollment rate in school is now 97 per cent and it will be 99 per cent within 2011."

"We are discussing with donors on reducing drop out rate by another 20 per cent but we are not getting any response from them. But the government has taken decision to continue it with state fund, if donors do not come forward" he added.

Samir Ranjan Nath, research coordinator, BRAC and member of Education Watch presented a keynote paper titled, "Gender Equality in Education in Bangladesh: Progress and Challenges". Hesaid, "Some universities had as high as 40 per cent female and some had less than 10 per cent. Of the 82 universities only two private universities had female vice-chancellors."

He said, "The senate, syndicates and governing bodies have less than 10 per cent female members and education ministries about 25 per cent female officials."